The Leader Who Always Gets It Right

The Leader Who Always Gets It Right
By Natasha | OpEdNews.com

The measure of a person's greatness and success lies not in the office to which that person is elected but in the person's ability to be true to the electorate once in office.

Anyone can sell their soul to buy a presidency or a dictatorship. It takes real power and courage to stand up to the forces that control most members of government. It takes true greatness to stand with the people against power-buyers.

In 2006, Americans elected a Congress they believed would impeach and prosecute George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, Condoleeza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld and others viewed as responsible for an illegal war in Iraq that resulted in the deaths of millions of innocent civilians and thousands of American servicemen. The people, in so voting, believed they had given power to Congress to cut the purse strings for war and to bring the troops home. They thought that Congress would support the people over corporations. Soon, they learned that, to most elected members of Congress, campaign promises were a dime a dozen. The 2006 Congress had no intention of doing what the people wanted. Recently, Congress took tax dollars that should have gone to health care and education. These tax dollars were given to corporate executives who had stolen billions from their own corporations and kicked people out of their homes into the streets. The corporate executives used the money to give themselves big bonuses and other personal benefits. The American people were left in shock about the disconnect.

Out of the Congress, one voice for the people echoed the public's sentiments loud and strong and clear. That voice belongs to the most successful man in American Government, Dennis Kucinich, a six term Congressman from Cleveland, Ohio. Watching fellow crusaders for the people sell out one by one in exchange for corporate contributions and publicity in their attempts to reach higher office, Kucinich decided to do his elections the honest way and to be true to the people. For this reason, as a Congressman, Kucinich is greater and more successful than anyone who has attained higher office in remembered history. While sell-out Democrats and Republican war machines spend millions every two years to try to defeat Kucinich, he always wins re-election by a landslide. The people of Cleveland have proven that they are more powerful than war profiteers and corporate vampires when it comes to picking their leader.

From his youth, Kucinich's greatness was evident. He was the oldest of seven children in a family of limited means. He lived in 21 places, including a couple of cars, by the time he was 17. This gave him a sense of compassion, humility and strength to change things for his family and for his fellow Americans. In the last year, Americans have come to know other members of the Kucinich family and have seen how close his relationships continue to be with his siblings.

Kucinich's strength of commitment to the people was evident, even back when he first entered politics. He became the youngest mayor of a major American City. The people of Cleveland elected Kucinich because they saw his integrity and believed he would stop the private take-over of the city-owned power company, Muny Light. Despite bribes and threats from those trying to take over the power company, Kucinich held firm and saved the people of Cleveland hundreds of millions of dollars. Back then, he could have taken bribes and been propelled into the Presidency at close to the minimum age. Instead, he stood by the people. The result is that the private power brokers have tried to pretend he does not exist and to silence him ever since. Though his good deeds are more monumental than those of any other Democratic or Republican candidate who has run for the Presidency in the 21st Century, the American people are denied ready access to the information about the great hero they have in Kucinich.

Other leaders get into Congress and become complacent, forgetting about the people who put them in office. Bucking the sell-out trend, Kucinich reads each and every bill that comes before Congress. He listens to what the people want before he votes on legislation. When he has been unfamiliar with a topic, he had instantly said so and then proceeded to thoroughly research that subject. Newspapers and TV stations, owned by monopolies, have tried silence him and belittle him for backing the people over the mega-corporations. He has proven that he is above concerns about his own safety or career. He always puts the people first.

One thing the corporations did not count on was that voters would actually look at voting records and bills. Voters have gone through Kucinich's voting record in an attempt to locate a flaw, the kind that every other politician has. The searches for any questionable votes in Kucinich's record always prove disappointing. Kucinich doesn't cast bad votes. Kucinich has sound reasons and motives for every vote he makes. These reasons, always, are rooted in the needs and interests of those he represents. He looks at the universal benefits and potential harm of everything that comes before Congress. He is the best source of information for anyone wanting to know what is going on in government.

Kucinich has been there for those could could not vote, as well. He has worked to protect youth rights. He supports lowering the voting age. He has fought to end human rights discrimination and abuses against young people. He also supports lowering the drinking age so that Americans who fight for their country have the right to drink. He has stood up against attempts to limit youth access to information. As a champion for youth rights, Kucinich has the support of a large segment of the approximately 73 millions Americans who are not allowed to vote because of age discrimination.

The executives of media conglomerates have the power to prevent candidates from getting publicity in national elections. They have the power to cut national candidates out of debates. They can make it look as if candidates aren't even running for offices in order to favor their favorite candidates. The media regularly broadcasts spin instead of facts and leaves the most significant events unmentioned. But they cannot stop Kucinich when it comes to standing up for Americans in Congress.

In the last couple of years, Kucinich has been the Chairman of the Domestic Policy Subcommittee of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. He has used this committee to look into corporate greed, gas prices, threats to the food supply and other important issues. The predators seem powerless to stop his investigations.

Across America, cries for the impeachment of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney have been loud, clear and massive. Every member of Congress has been besieged by calls, letters and petitions demanding that impeachment proceedings be launched. Kucinich has had the courage to file Articles of Impeachment against Bush and Cheney and to use Congressional procedures to bring these Articles to the floor of the House for discussion and a vote. He did this despite threats reportedly made by Nancy Pelosi to members of Congress that Representatives could lose their committee chairmanships if they backed impeachment. Most Congressional leaders cowered in fear that Bush or Cheney might not like being impeached, that Bush's supporters might not contribute to the campaigns of Congressional Democrats, or that Pelosi might retaliate against them for supporting their constituents. Most other members of Congress couldn't understand how it was and is that Kucinich dares to care more about helping people than about receiving contributions. Most members of Congress cannot even imagine turning down corporate contributions as Kucinich has always done.

Kucinich's opposition to the bailout is a sign of courage. Other members of Congress sent emails to their supporters saying they were blackmailed or threatened with closures of public facilities and services or with martial law as an excuse for their votes. Those emails did not explain why those making the threats were not arrested and prosecuted. Even the current Democratic nominee for President led the charge for Wall Street and worked to convince Democrats to back the sell-out to Wall Street.

Calling the bailout the dumbest thing he had ever seen, Kucinich expressed concern for homeowners. He made sure America knew about Addie Polk ,a 90 year old woman who shot herself as she was about to be evicted from a house she had owned for decades. Imagine the sadness her family must have felt to know that other leaders gave billions to those who caused this woman to shoot hereself.

Now, Kucinich is working to stop the billion dollar bonuses those who caused the crisis are giving themselves. Watch these videos and see what real courage and success is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAGzLfmV4Ks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2b1k_hF_yI0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y61I0hp9RWw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Feyu2Db2QuU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9UGlrBlEJs&feature=related
http://kucinich.us/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2579&Itemid=1

Kucinich continues to stay on top of foreign policy, speaking out against recent pre-election attacks on Middle Eastern Countries that never attacked us. He, especially, questioned the timing of a recent attack on Syria.

The millions the Republicans have put behind Kucinich's current Republican opponent mean nothing compared with the good will Kucinich has built up with the American people. The voters of his district are too smart for the Republican attack machine.

In his personal life, Kucinich picked a great humanitarian, Elizabeth, for his wife. Elizabeth Kucinich worked with Mother Theresa's organization in assisting the sick and others in need. After Elizabeth finished college, she worked for a monetary think tank. Like her husband, she is an expert on knowing what needs to be done to save the economy. She accompanies Kucinich virtually everywhere and the two of them have one of the most perfect marriages in Washington D.C.

Kucinich supporters are also winners. Supporters of all other 2008 Presidential candidates have been coming to Kucinich supporters and saying, "You were right. Dennis was the only one." Across America, those who didn't get to know much about him earlier this year are praising him for being their man in Congress, even though he isn't the representative for their districts. No matter what happens in the upcoming elections with other offices, Americans are watching Dennis Kucinich and trusting him to protect them and their freedoms.

History books will remember that Kucinich was the one who got it correct. Future historians will see that Kucinich was the voice of America after most other voices in America's leadership were bought out by Wall Street executives. While Americans have spent months fighting over which major candidate is the "lesser of the evils" in the 2008 Presidential race, Kucinich is the leader all, who have studied the issues, agree is a force for good. The people of Cleveland are lucky to have Kucinich as their Congressman. Voters, elsewhere wish he were their Representative. Now that's true success and true greatness.